One of the most elegant and certainly among the most luxurious of all Alligator shoes is this vintage Florsheim Imperial 3-Eyelet, Split-Toe, Norwegian, a “Custom Order” shoe made at the peak of the firm’s importance in the 1940s and 1950s and 1960s by the most prestigious shoemaker in America during the last 100 years. Florsheim’s premiere line for several decades until the 1980s, the Florsheim Imperials -other models to be seen among my other auctions- are the finest shoes ever to be made in America. They compete with the best English and Hungarian shoes for durability and with the best Italian for detail and decoration, although these masterpieces of the shoemakers art may not be compared to the deluge of modern, mass produced, Spanish and Italian Alligator and Lizard Skin shoes, good for a few seasons wear at best. These are by comparison indestructible and become more beautiful with the passage of time. Good used examples are to be found on the market, albeit with some difficulty, when most other shoes of their age have long since perished. It is sad to note that today the old firm of Florsheim is bankrupted out of existence, their good name sold to marketing interests to adorn contemptibly plebian product made off shore.
And now to the pair at hand, a Custom Order Alligator Norwegian. Almost all Florsheim’s shoes were ready made, however their flagship stores in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles had each at certain times one fitter on duty for the custom trade. Measurements were taken, styles decided upon, leather chosen and the order sent to the central workshop where the shoes were hand made by selected shoemakers according to the client’s specifications, using specific lasts. These Florsheim Custom Ordered shoes, scarce even in their day, are hardly to be found today. More even than the collectors item that they certainly are, they are museum pieces, were there such a museum to assemble the sumptuary and sartorial masterpieces of the 20th Century.

The experienced collector will immediately recognize the sculpted form of shoe and sole as custom made. The soles are formed around a steel shank as in the finest bootmaking. The narrow waist and dramatic angular flaring of the sole remind one of Edward Greens current bespoke line, although certainly more radical. The generous rounded and chisled toe are closer perhaps to bespoke John Lobbs before the divorce but finally they are Florsheim’s own. In short, a rarity in terms of number produced, numbers survived and in terms of its individualistic (and very pleasing) design. Needless to say the Alligator skins are of the finest quality, taken from unblemished farm raised animals (animals in the wild typically have too much damage and scaring from their more difficult existence), perfectly matched between shoes, artfully chosen to adorn the plain front and thrust of the chisel-toe. All edges are finished with ultra-fine piping. The stacked and layered heel is nailed in the characteristic fashion of a custom shoe. Perhaps only a half dozen shoemakers in the world today are capable of producing a Alligator shoe, or any shoe, of this uncompromising quality, at any price. This particular shoe, while it can be copied by a great craftsman, cannot be duplicated in its authenticity and historical significance. It is one of very few remaining in this near new condition. Compare this to good ready made Alligator shoes in the 2-3000 range and custom made shoes in the 4-6000 range